If you find these young goaltenders the goal support, I'm telling you, they'll make it stand up. This team is not that far away from turning this thing around. Heck, Smith even got an assist on the empty netter tonight to put the icing on the cake.

Tonight's game winning goal belonged to Alexandre Picard who now has 2 goals and 4 points in 10 games since joining the Lightning. That pro-rates to a 30+ point season over 82 games. Whoever scouted this young man with the Phantoms, and I kind of assume it was Bill Barber, deserves a steak dinner. This young man's been a bit of a revelation since coming over in the Prospal trade. He had 18:30 in ice time tonight, and is looking like a lock to be the team's #5 or #6 defenseman next season. Heaven help the NHL when he gains that extra 5-10 pounds of muscle and gets a little sturdier on those Bambi legs. "Make it so, Number Two."

Justin Keller and Adam Henrich each checked in with 1 goal and 1 assist in the game. Kyle Wanvig and Henrich were named the game's second and third stars.

Keller now has 12 goals and 33 points in 60 games with a +5 rating. A season ago in Springfield, Keller played exactly 60 games but only managed 24 points and had a -11 rating. The improvement is obvious.

Prior to this season Henrich had just 13 goals and 38 points in his entire AHL career of three seasons and 102 games. This season Henrich already has 14 goals and 31 points in 40 games, and there is still a chance he will double his career statistical output by the end of the year. Again, the improvement is obvious.

A year ago, as a rookie, Blair Jones had 5 goals and 21 points in 45 games (.467 PPG). This season, Blair Jones has 13 goals and 35 points in 63 games (.556 PPG). Again, the improvement is obvious.

A season ago, as a rookie, Radek Smolenak had just 1 point in 20 games. This season, the big winger has 11 goals and 21 points in 45 games. Again, the improvement is obvious.

Coupled with a strong rookie campaign by Vladimir Mihalik (now a team leading +9 among defensemen), the organization is looking less and less like the disaster the local and national media was making it out to be just a month or two ago. In fact, I dare say, it's difficult to claim that there isn't progress being made in Norfolk, even with the defeat tonight.

Seattle clinched the fourth seed in the Western Conference. They will play either Everett or Kelowna in the first round. Helenius improved his record to 21-12-5-1. There were eight fighting majors in the last few seconds of this game.

Marc Denis allowed 3 goals on 46 shots for the win. The Admirals have been woefully outshot on a night in, night out basis since Junior Lessard's recall and Paul Szczechura's injury, but the goaltending (and Denis in particular) has been helping to pick up the slack. Tonight, the Ads were outshot a staggering 46 to 21, but the team managed to outlast a 24 shot third period onslaught to hold on for the win.

Here's something you might not know: Norfolk has a winning record at home this season at 15-13-1-2 on the season. Unfortunately, they happen to be 14 games under .500 on the road. In any event, the point is clear: even in a down year The Scope is not a hospitable place to visit if you're an opposing team.